It is often said that if one wants to have an experience of a lifetime one should run a marathon. Running was never a part of my life and running a marathon wasn’t even a remote thought in my mind.

During the summer of 2012 I was looking to try something new and by serendipity I met volunteers from TeamAIDAsha, also known as TAA. Soon, I was on my first run with TAA. I vividly remember my first run- friendly alum runners from the program and new faces with the same expression as mine, an expression of uncertainty. Running around the beautiful Charles River made it a great experience along with the support provided by fellow runners and TAA volunteers.

Many runners swear by the effects running can have on your physical and mental well-being. Running induces a discipline in your life; it creates small moments of victory along with moments of pain and leaves you with a very settled but motivated feeling. Having said that, I can attest that running with a group can raise the quality of your overall running experience. Needless to say, running with TAA made my running experience richer.

The TAA program provides a wonderful opportunity to raise funds while you run. The funds raised go to grassroots level organizations in India through Association for India’s development and Asha for Education. TeamAIDAsha has plenty of alum runners and a coach to guide you through the training process. Also, there is extensive help through fundraising clinics that include advice about reaching out to one’s own networks in order to raise funds.

I have been a part of TeamAIDAsha since 2012. I have run one half marathon and one full marathon with TAA and I have been volunteering with the program since 2012.My DC marathon experience is one of the most proud moments of my life. The event has an electric atmosphere and the camaraderie shared by my fellow TAA runners made the 26.2 miles seem attainable. I can confidently say that running the DC marathon with the team compelled me to run again with the group.

I look forward to running more races with the program and being a consistent part of the program. We are starting a new season of training again now. Both beginner and experienced runners are welcome. If you would like to try something challenging this summer and make new life-long friends while making a positive difference in the world, please join us at www.teamaidasha.org .

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